India secured a convincing 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at the Galle International Cricket Stadium, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The second and final Test will begin on August 23 at the SSC Ground in Colombo.
The Galle Test saw some impressive bowling performances from both sides. With the conditions likely to assist bowlers again, several could make a big impact in Colombo. Here, we take a look at five bowlers to watch out for in the second Test.
Here are the 5 bowlers to watch out for in the second SL vs. IND Test:
5. Keshara Nuwantha
Keshara Nuwantha made his Sri Lanka Test debut in the Galle match and impressed one and all with his all-rounder performance. He picked four wickets in all and made decent contributions with the bat, especially in the second innings. Nuwantha will be the perfect foil for Prabath Jayasuriya, as the off-break bowler will be more effective on the spin-friendly Colombo track.
4. Prabath Jayasuriya
Prabath Jayasuriya has been the lone torchbearer for spin in Sri Lanka since Rangana Herath’s retirement. He picked 7 wickets in the match and largely troubled the Indian batters throughout the match. He doesn’t spin the ball much but deceives the batters with slight variations in line and length and with just enough spin. He will be a threat in Colombo, where the ball usually turns square and batters will have to be more cautious while playing him.
3. Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav might have picked only one wicket in the Galle Test, but he also bowled the least number of overs, 120-odd. He was underbowled in comparison to his fellow spinners on the Indian team. There are chances that he might be dropped for Saransh Jain in the Colombo Test, but Indian team management should continue with Kuldeep Yadav and give him a long run in the Test to become a threat.
2. Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja picked 4 wickets in the match, with three in the first innings. He has never been a bowler who will turn the ball big but takes wickets with deliveries that turn just a little. Jadeja couldn’t do much with the bat but has become more of a batter than a bowler in the twilight of his career. Jadeja will cherish bowling on the Colombo pitch in the second Test and expect a good performance from the left-arm spinner.
1. Manav Suthar
The Galle Test win belonged to Manav Suthar with the ball completely. He picked 4 and 6 wickets, respectively, in the Test match and earned his maiden 10-wicket haul. Suthar now has 17 wickets in his first two Tests and was the youngest Indian spinner to take a 10-fer away from home in Tests. Suthar will be deadly on the Colombo pitch, as it offers more turn than Galle, and he knows which ball to turn big and which not to.
